Venetians’ Relationship with the Turks

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Naval Warfare: Venetians' Relationship with the Turks
(www.saudiaramcoworld.com)

  • The relationship between the Venetians and the Turks started well before the 16th century
  • Venice was a new power to Europe because it was a trading city
  • Venice was one of Europe’s most important catholic contact with Muslim countries
(metmuseum.org)
  • The first conflict between the Venetians and the Turks started out as a conflict between Venice and their enemy, Genoese
    • Genoese was trying to take over several of the Venetian bases and soon the Turks helped out Genoese
    • Venice’s enemies took over several bases and then made personal attacks on Venice
    • Venice was greatly outnumbered in both men and ships and overwhelmed by the superior naval vessels and artillery
    • Venice lost this first war
(warandgame.wordpress.com)
  • In 1499, the Turks surprised Venice with the news of sending out large fleets to take over what was left of the Venetian possessions in Morea and the Ionian Sea
    • This new conflict consisted of the Turks trying to take over the surrounding areas belonging to Venice in order to weaken the country
    • Venice lost all of their bases by 1502
(ionian.com)
  • By 1508 Spain, French, and Germany, together with the pope, the Hungarians, the Savoyards, and the Ferrarese, united to form the League of Cambrai against the Venetians, who were defeated at the Battle of Agnadello
    • Venice was saved from the worst results of this event by internal discord within the League of Cambrai
    • Venetian territories on the mainland were diminished
  • At the same time, the republic was experiencing an economic crisis
    • The Eastern market was lost, but the discovery of new lands in the West and new trade routes to the East released Europe from dependence on Venetian merchants
    • Venice ceased to be a Mediterranean power and declined into economic stagnation
  • Venetian policy in the 16th century was dictated by the need to keep intact its political, economic, and territorial heritage against the advance of the Turks on the one side and the pressure of the great western European powers on the other
  • Venetian peace and neutrality meant only defending the immediate interests of the nation
  • After a long campaign (1645–69), Crete, Venice’s last possession in the eastern Mediterranean, fell to the Turks
    • The government, after allying itself with Austria, attempted to reestablish itself in the eastern Mediterranean by liberating the Morea (Peloponnese) from the Turks
(britannica.com)